Senior citizens in Pampanga’s fourth district may soon avail of free flu vaccines under a vaccination program of Representative Anna York Bondoc.
The lawmaker said the program will start on Friday, July 10.
Bondoc said she initiated the project, in coordination with Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH), the Department of Health (DOH) Region 3, and Rural Health Units (RHUs) in the district.
She said vaccination teams will visit different barangays from July to August to administer the vaccines to elderly residents.
The lawmaker encouraged senior citizens to register with their respective Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), RHUs, or the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) to be included in the list of vaccine recipients.
“We advise seniors na magpabakuna upang maging ligtas sa flu. Sila po ang pinaka vulnerable,” she said.
Bondoc, a medical doctor, has been advocating for flu vaccination. She previously initiated similar programs through coordination with the DOH and the national government.
She said influenza may lead to pneumonia, a serious lung infection that poses greater health risks to older adults.
“Flu is a respiratory infection na possible na maging serious, and once it becomes serious, you can get hospitalized and possibly develop secondary pneumonia dahil bumaba po ang inyong immune system. That can be deadly, and ‘yun po ang ikinamamatay ng mga tao,” she explained.
Remaining doses, if available, will be administered to individuals with comorbidities, including diabetes and hypertension, patients undergoing dialysis or chemotherapy, as well as children.
